In the past, a number of electronically adjustable hospital beds have been disclosed, which permit elevating and lowering of a patient longitudinally (i.e. in a head to foot direction). For example, Wright, U.S. Pat. No. 4,071,222 disclosed a lifting platform (such as a hospital bed), which is supported from a base by a pair of X-linkages and permits head to foot motion of the platform. More recently, Osborne, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,658,680 disclosed yet another bed capable of head to foot longitudinal motion. Even more recently, several other U.S. patents, such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,772,462, U.S. Pat. No. 6,691,349 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,668,408 have also disclosed beds capable of head to foot longitudinal motion. These disclosures also suggest that it is desirable to be able to move a patient conveniently from one bed to another. Methods for doing this include lifting the bed so that the bed remains horizontal and sliding the patient across from one bed to another bed.
Often patients need to be moved from side to side in a bed. Such movement is desirable for a number of reasons including the need to change bed linen while the patient is still in the bed, the need to prevent bedsores, which can lead to health complications for the patient, the need to dress an inaccessible wound and the need to change the patient's clothing. Clearly, a longitudinal movement of the patient in a bed would not accomplish the above-noted requirements. Currently, the only way to accomplish these requirements is to physically lift the patient out of the bed or turn the patient over with more than a single caregiver usually needed to turn the patient. In addition, such physical manipulation usually causes the patient some discomfort and may aggravate an injury.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need to provide an improved adjustable bed, which would accomplish the above-noted needs for the patient and preferably only requires one caregiver.